SteveM

Yes, that would make more sense.

Swordsmith is Sado-no-kami Kunitomi Motoyoshi Kunitomi is the smith's working name. Sado-no-kami is his title.

possibly 散見せ　

It was issued in Shōwa 44 (1969), March 23. Person who submitted it is named MORI - I'll skip the first name for privacy reasons.

美濃住　光沖 Minō-jū Mitsuoki

I think the shinsa team in 1976 (the date of your certificate) was a bit careless when they wrote your appraisal paper, and they meant to say Sendai Yasutomo. Sendai is very close to Aizu, geographically, and I think from the kanji of 安倫 (Yasutomo) written on your paper, its clear that the appraiser meant Sendai Yasutomo. "Later Generation Yasutomo" would put this sword in the 1800s. I have no specific information on the later generations of Yasutomo. The swords of the mid-to-late 1800s tended towards this kind of straight shape, so the shape of your sword is correct for the time.

Looks like 貞廣 (Sadahiro).

同人 　Dōnin. Means it was performed by the same person that did the one on the right (hence, the same kao).

Hello Lukas, Yes, the name on your tsuba is Ōsaki Yoshiaki (大崎善明).

Thank you, Moriyama-san. I was struggling with the Hachiman reference. Now I understand it, thanks to your post.

Left Side 南無阿弥陀佛 (Namu Amidabutsu) down the left side. 雷除　(Kaminari-yoke) Protection from lightning. Also left side, under the above. So, yes this part would seem to be a way of indicating the maker's, or the inscriber's, wish for protection from lightning. Right Side 八幡公所佩貫級刀製　Hachiman kōsho hai kankyūtō-sei Kankyūtō is the same thing as "bashin". It's just another way of saying "blood-letting knife". But I'm not sure why Hachiman (the god of war, among other things) is included in the inscription. I'm not finding any clues online either. Or maybe there is some meaning in the kanji that I am missing. Anyway, if I were to guess I'd say the inscription was way for the smith to invoke the god Hachiman (which may have some connection with the clan of the maker and/or the fief in which he was working).

I like it. Very interesting design. I, too, would have guessed Chōshū or Bushū. I am reminded (and maybe too strongly influenced) by Robert Haynes' assertion that Echizen Kinai tsuba are usually signed as such. So, when I see an unsigned tsuba I mentally exclude Echizen Kinai from the field of possible schools. I don't know if Haynes intended his comment to be treated as an absolute. I doubt it. But it has stuck in my mind.

Typo, I think. Kōjō should be 光常.

清秀　Kiyohide　Late Edo era artist.

I should say one of the things I read online was that this technique was a way of using acid to highlight any forging lines in the base metal, and then incorporating those forging lines into the design that was to be carved on the base metal. (like using the lines to represent water or clouds). Another site I saw said that kusarakashi was a way of adding texture to a plain (flat) base. Hence, it seems to be an elastic phrase - but one which involves applying an acid treatment or a rusting agent to the metal to elicit some textural effect.